1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a clamping apparatus, and more particularly to a flange alignment apparatus for temporarily and controllably aligning a flange with a workpiece and supporting the flange in a desired position relative to the workpiece while the flange is being permanently attached to the workpiece, such as by welding.
2. Discussion
Various tools have been devised over the years in an attempt to permit one workpiece to be temporarily aligned with a mating workpiece while the two workpieces are fixedly secured together such as by welding. Such devices have suffered from various drawbacks in that they do not permit quick, easy, efficient, accurate, and/or temporary alignment of the two workpieces while the workpieces are being permanently secured together.
Another disadvantage of previously developed tools is an inability to be used with two workpieces, where one of the workpieces contains a curved or angled portion near its end. For example, where a flange is to be secured to an elbow section of a pipe, many such previously developed alignment tools are wholly unsuited for supporting the flange relative to the workpiece without the use of several additional, and often expensive, clamping devices. Furthermore, many previously developed clamping devices are unsuited to work in cooperation with other clamping devices.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a flange alignment tool which is capable of being removably and temporarily affixed to a flange, and which is further operable to selectively and controllably align the flange to a desired position relative to a mating workpiece, such as a pipe, to be affixed to the flange, and to hold the flange stationary in a secure and accurate manner while it is being permanently attached to its mating workpiece.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flange alignment tool which is capable of aligning and holding in alignment a flange with a mating workpiece, such as a pipe, without the aid of any other clamping mechanism or support device.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a flange alignment tool which is capable of aligning and holding in alignment a flange with a mating workpiece, such as a pipe, and which may be readily used in cooperation with other flange alignment and support devices to further enhance the ease with which workpieces may be aligned and temporarily supported during welding, brazing and other like operations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a flange alignment tool which is capable of aligning and supporting a flange with a mating workpiece, such as a pipe, where the pipe is shaped in the form of an elbow.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a flange alignment tool which may be used to align and support a flange to a mating workpiece, such as a pipe, while the flange and mating workpiece are secured together by welding or brazing, without interfering with the welding or brazing operation.